Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses
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J Pediatr Oncol Nurs · Jan 2014
ReviewManagement of febrile neutropenia in pediatric oncology across Queensland, Australia: a retrospective review on variations between locations.
Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a common complication in pediatric oncology with intravenous antibiotics being given routinely for decades. This study aimed to compare the management of FN in children in different locations across Queensland, Australia. FN episodes were identified from 4 settings: tertiary oncology outpatient department (OD), tertiary emergency department (ED), regional ward (RW), and regional emergency department (RED) between July 2009 and June 2011. ⋯ Antibiotics were commenced within 60 minutes (the gold standard) on only 10 occasions. Despite education input emphasizing the importance of early commencement of antibiotics, this study identified that this objective was not met in the majority of cases. Further study is needed to look at reasons for the delay in beginning treatment for pediatric oncology patients in Queensland and what measures may assist with improving the time from presentation with FN to antibiotic administration across all settings.
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J Pediatr Oncol Nurs · Jan 2014
Fatigue in adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease: biological and behavioral correlates and health-related quality of life.
This descriptive, correlational study examined fatigue and potential biological and behavioral correlates in adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease. Sixty adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease completed the Brief Fatigue Inventory, Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form, Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) fatigue short form and measures of pain, sleep quality, anxiety, depressive mood, stress, disease severity, and quality of life. Blood samples were obtained for hemoglobin and cytokines. ⋯ Fatigue was not correlated with cytokines or age, nor differed by disease severity. Fatigue was common in these adolescents and young adults, interfered with daily activities such as school, work and exercise, and significantly correlated with several potentially modifiable factors. As life expectancy increases in sickle cell disease, research is needed to test interventions to reduce fatigue.